1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a golf putter and method of putting and more particularly relates to putter alignment wherein the putter has both a mechanism on the (1) back and (2) bottom portion of the putter for providing an improved method for lining up the putter to thereby more accurately and consistently propel a golf ball along an intended line or path.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally speaking, many or most prior art golf putters have a smooth or rounded bottom surface. Although this type of surface may facilitate the hitting of a putt, these smooth surfaces do not aide the process of initially aligning the putter nor do they contribute to the maintenance of alignment once it is established. As a consequence, prior art putters impair the golfer's ability to use an optimal aiming/alignment method. The present invention permits and assists in the use of an optimal aiming/alignment method.
Successful putting requires more than just a smooth stroke. If the ball is to roll into the cup, there are many physical and mental steps which must be successfully accomplished before the actual stroke. Putting can be usefully thought of as a three step process consisting of; (1) target selection from behind the ball (2) aiming/alignment of the putter to the target from behind the ball, and (3) stroking or hitting the putt from beside the ball.
The preferred aiming/alignment method essentially begins with the proposition that there is one best position to select a target and to align the putter--behind the ball. In this position a short distance behind the ball, the player crouches or bends with eyes and head level gazing directly above the ball's intended line of travels The player's body and feet generally straddle an imaginary line running from the target through the ball. The Rules of Golf, while permitting the golfer to select a target and align a putter from this preferred aiming/alignment position, prohibit the golfer from actually hitting the putt while so situated. (If the rules did permit the player to maintain this position during the stroke of a putt, a golfer could arguably use a putter like pool cue. Carried to an extreme, one could imagine a player prostrated on the putting surface as if it were a billiard table.)
Even though the Rules of Golf prohibit the putting of the ball from the preferred aiming/alignment position, virtually all golfers, except the rankest beginner, begin their putting routine from it. It is from behind the ball that a golfer is afforded an optimal view of ball, hole and surface contour. While crouched or bent in this location, the golfer is best able to assess the many factors, including contour, which will cause the ball's path to bend or "break" as the ball rolls toward the cup. Accomplished putters learn how to accurately assess both the contour of the green and numerous other subtle conditions (erg., the "grain" of the grass) and select an aiming target which accounts for the break of the putt. If the target is properly selected ("read" in golf vernacular), the putter accurately aimed or aligned to the target, and the putting stroke smoothly made; the ball will ultimately fall into the cup. It is the initial position of the golfer behind the ball in relationship to the cup that is the foundation of the preferred putter alignment method.
In contrast, any golfer attempting to "read" the green from the stroking or putting position standing beside and above the ball will be less successful. Although it is possible for the golfer to select a target from the stroking position, it is rarely done because such a position provides the worst possible view of the factors affecting the path of the ball along its intended line. Standing above the ball in the putting position reveals little in the way of ground contour or other important visual information necessary for a successful "read". This paucity of useful visual information is the result of the application of well understood optical/visual principals concerning contrast and depth perception. It is not surprising then that virtually all golfers will select an aiming target from the preferred aiming/alignment position behind the ball. The actual aiming target can be anything from a small blemish in the putting surface to a wayward leaf or speck of dirt.
Once the target has been selected from behind the ball, the preferred aiming/alignment method dictates that the golfer align or aim his putter from this position. However, due to the design of prior art putters, virtually all players move to the stroking position before aligning the putter to the selected target. Although it is possible to align prior art putters from the preferred aiming/alignment position, this initial alignment is highly unstable and virtually impossible to maintain while the golfer moves to the stroking position. Prior art putters do not provide a means to mechanically "fix" the correctly aligned putter while the golfer maneuvers his body to the correct position. Rather than contend with this lack of mechanical connection, most golfers prefer to align the putter to the target from the stroking position. Trying to aim the putter from the preferred position is problematic.
Any player attempting to align a prior art putter from the preferred position must rely on physical and athletic skill to maintain the putter's aim as the player shifts to the stroking position. Any movement of the player, the player's hands or other portion of the player's body after alignment is established is likely to cause an undesired change in the alignment of the putter. Moreover, the golfer may not be aware of the movement of the putter while the golfer is moving to the stroking position. Upon arrival at the stroking position, the player has no means to judge whether the putter has retained its alignment. It is the fragility of the putter's alignment that cause most players to attempt to align it from the stroking position. But, accurately aiming a putter from this position is inherently more difficult than aiming or aligning it from behind the ball.
This alignment challenge is analogous to aiming a pistol held no higher than the waist while turned sideways. Although it might be possible with practice to occasionally hit a bullseye from this position, greater accuracy is likely to result if one faces the target and the pistol is brought to eye level so that it can be sited along the actual line created by the target and the barrel of the pistol. Accurately aligning a putter while looking down upon it presents no less of a challenge. Moreover, the golfer must contend with optical anomalies and illusions which arise from this perspective. A number of highly respected books and articles have been written about the visual challenges inherent in aligning the putter from the stroking position. For an example of such materials see "Aim to Win" by Chuck Hogan.
In summary the preferred aiming/alignment method dictates that the golfer select an aiming target and aim the putter at the target from behind the ball. Prior art putters do not provide a workable means to fix the alignment of the putter while the player moves to the stroking position. Consequently, golfers are forced to aim the putter from the stroking position which results in less accurate alignment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,902 discloses a golf putter with an in-line aiming and control apparatus which facilitates sighting the putter along the desired path of the ball by engaging the putting surface in order to keep the club in position as the golfer moves from the rear sighting position to the side golfing position. While this apparatus may achieve the desired aiming of the putter, the face of the putter has a sharp edge on the bottom side extending downward from the face and parallel to it. This sharp edge remains engaged with the turf as the putter is tilted back up. This prevents a smooth unimpeded takeaway or stroke. Also it has the tendency to catch and thereby slow down the putter speed or to cause the putter to twist if this edge inadvertently comes in contact with the turf during putting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,428 (Perkins) discloses a putter with multiple grooves cut up into the bottom surface of the putter for engagement of the blades of grass growing out of the turf. The grass is not stiff enough to provide the putter head with lateral stability. And, the grooves do not engage the turf that underlies the grass. In order to be effective the turf must be received up into the grooves, which does not readily occur in either long or short putting surfaces. Even assuming that blades of grass could provide sufficient mechanical stability if engaged by the grooves, because most modem putting surfaces are closely mown, there is not sufficient grass to engage them. When used on the increasingly prevalent artificial putting surfaces like no-nap carpet or felt, the grooves have nothing to engage,
Other types of golf clubs such as fairway woods and irons have used runners on the bottom surface of the club head. The runners for woods and irons are used to lift the club off the ground to reduce the chance that the club will dig in during the swing, i.e., prevent engagement with the turf and facilitate the passage of the club head over the ground. They are not intended nor do they function as a means to provide directional stability to the head of the club. These runners need sufficient surface contact to support the clubhead so that the head does not sink to the ground.
A need exists to provide an improved putter and method that will permit a golfer to more accurately align the putter's striking face and then permit the golfer to resume the normal putting position without changing the putterhead's alignment to thereby maintain the alignment of the putter and, at the same time, provide for a smooth and unimpeded stroke.